BOONE, N.C. — Appalachian State University’s Office of Rural Promise (ORP) is the awardee of a seven-year, $35 million GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant from the U.S. Department of Education. The award marks the second consecutive $35 million federal grant App State has received in support of its GEAR UP program, allowing the university to serve more students and families across the western portion of the state.

GEAR UP is a federally funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. Through a wide range of research-based services to students, families and teachers, App State’s GEAR UP NC Appalachian Partnership aims to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates and postsecondary enrollment rates.

Results from App State’s previous GEAR UP grants demonstrate the program’s effectiveness in improving educational outcomes. Among participating schools, 97% of students were on track to graduate by the end of ninth grade, and 98% graduated from high school on time, significantly exceeding the statewide average of 88%, according to 2024–25 data, the latest available.

“By helping prepare thousands of regional middle and high school students to thrive in higher education, GEAR UP is a prime example of the impact we’re most proud of at App State — concrete results for our young students and increased opportunity in the High Country and beyond,” said Dr. Christine Ogilvie Hendren, vice chancellor of research and innovation at App State.

She added, “This grant is a significant recognition of the hard work of App State’s GEAR UP and Office of Rural Promise, and it will allow even more students in our communities to visualize and realize the dream of a university education.”

The university administers multiple GEAR UP grants, and the most recent grant program, which began on Oct. 1, is called GEAR UP APEX (Advancing Prosperity through Education and eXcellence) Northwest. GEAR UP APEX Northwest includes 11 school districts and four partnering North Carolina higher education institutions, all working together to provide college and career services to approximately 14,000 middle and high school students and their families.

The 11 school districts, representing 31 middle schools and 27 high schools, are:

• Alleghany
• Ashe
• Avery
• Alexander
• Caldwell
• Mitchell
• Surry
• Watauga
• Wilkes
• Yadkin
• Yancey

The higher education partners are:

• Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
• Catawba Valley Community College
• Mayland Community College
• Wilkes Community College

The grant is led by ORP Executive Director Dr. James Beeler, ORP Deputy Director Corinne Smith and GEAR UP Director Doug Thompson. Grant writers include Beeler; Smith; Thompson; Dr. Jui-Teng Li, ORP associate director of research and evaluation; Rachel Nave-Lewis, GEAR UP assistant director of curriculum and instructional design; and Wes Calbreath, GEAR UP assistant director of college access services.

“The Office of Rural Promise is excited to expand our reach to more counties in Western North Carolina with this GEAR UP grant,” said Beeler. “Along with our K–12 and higher education partners, we share a passion for serving the region, uncovering possibilities and helping more students prepare to succeed after high school.”

App State has implemented federal GEAR UP programming nearly every year since 1999. Two previous GEAR UP grants conferred to App State — $29.8 million in 2020 and $35 million in 2024 — will run concurrently with the new grant funding, through 2027 and 2031, respectively, with the new grant supporting GEAR UP operations through 2033. With the addition of the new award, App State’s GEAR UP NC Appalachian Partnership grant programs serve approximately 42,000 students across 22 Western North Carolina school districts.

Decades of impact: Preparing NC’s future workforce and leaders

Beginning in middle school, GEAR UP students are encouraged to explore their interests, strengths and aspirations, opening new possibilities. The program provides students with the knowledge, experiences and resources needed to make informed decisions about their futures — whether pursuing a college degree, industry-recognized credential, apprenticeship, workforce training program or military pathway.

“There is extraordinary promise in the young people and communities of Western North Carolina,” said Smith. “Our work is about building on that promise by connecting students with career opportunities that help them discover just how much is possible. When we invest in young people this way, the impact reaches far beyond any single student or generation.”

GEAR UP students demonstrate academic achievement that surpasses state benchmarks. In one example, statewide data from 2024–25 showed 68% of ninth grade students in GEAR UP schools met proficiency standards on the Math I End-of-Course assessment, compared with 35% statewide, Li noted.

The latest award will build on this foundation, expanding opportunities for a new cohort of students and families while continuing App State’s long-standing commitment to increasing educational attainment and economic mobility across North Carolina.

“The opportunity to serve students, families and professionals across Western North Carolina has been the highlight of my educational career, and I’m overjoyed to share that responsibility with this amazing team and our growing GEAR UP community,” said Thompson.

Additional programmatic and support partners include myFutureNC; Participate Learning; National Postsecondary Strategy Institute; MasteryPrep; The Princeton Review; American School Counselor Association; Public School Forum of North Carolina; Texas Instruments; App State’s Mathematics and Science Education Center; Experimental Aircraft Association; CoBro Consulting; and App State’s Center for Analytics Research and Education.

To learn more about App State’s GEAR UP program and its community events and activities, visit ruralpromise.appstate.edu/cap/gear-up/.

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Office of Rural Promise

The Office of Rural Promise (ORP) housed in the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) builds partnerships to solve big challenges in rural communities; designs and implements services that impact rural students, families and educators; conducts evaluation and research on its programs to share with the field and recommends strategies and policy. Our team brings together rural leaders and leverages the existing strengths and innovations in our communities.

Learn more

Office of Rural Promise

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded college access program designed to increase the number of students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education immediately after high school. We aim to improve college-going mindsets, high school graduation rates, and postsecondary enrollment rates through a wide range of research-grounded services to students, families, and teachers.

Learn more

About College Access Partnerships

App State’s College Access Partnerships is housed in the Office of Rural Promise and comprises programs in college access and educator professional learning, including Appalachian GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs), Upward Bound, Advise NC at App State, Empowering Teacher Learning, Young Eisner Scholars (YES), GREAT STEM and On Ramp Appalachia. These programs aim to prepare students throughout Western North Carolina to engage in postsecondary learning that provides opportunities for careers in their home region and beyond. For more information, visit https://ruralpromise.appstate.edu/cap.

About the Office of Rural Promise

The Office of Rural Promise, housed in Appalachian State University’s Office of Research and Innovation, fosters regional connections and supports growing programs that empower students and educators at North Carolina schools. Leveraging new and existing grant-supported programs, the office builds strategic partnerships to solve big challenges in rural communities; designs and implements services that impact rural students, families and educators; conducts research and evaluates programs; and recommends strategies and policy. It is one of several App State units that strategically support the university’s research and innovation enterprise. Learn more about App State’s Office of Rural Promise at https://ruralpromise.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.